Long Climbs

Kojori from Tavisupleba is Tbilisi’s classic long climb and one of the most popular routes among local cyclists. It begins at Liberty Square with the short cobbled section on Leonidze Street, before reaching Amaghleba Street, where the sustained ascent properly begins.

The gradient is generally gentle and consistent, with several stretches that feel almost flat. Its difficulty comes primarily from its length, so careful pacing is essential. The route first passes the turn for Mtatsminda Park, then continues through Shindisi and the junction towards Tsavkisi, before reaching Tabakhmela and finally climbing into Kojori.

The ascent can easily be shortened or combined with other routes. You can turn towards Mtatsminda Park and return to the city, stop at Shindisi and descend towards Krtsanisi or Tskneti, or turn towards Tsavkisi and connect with nearby gravel and mountain-bike trails. From Tabakhmela, additional off-road tracks lead towards Tbilisi Hills and Teleti, although some connecting roads are in very poor condition.

There is very little shade along most of the climb, with trees appearing mainly in the final kilometres before Kojori. Traffic can be heavy on the lower section, and drivers may overtake carelessly or cross into your lane. Stray dogs can also be encountered, particularly between the Mtatsminda Park junction and Shindisi, and around Tabakhmela.

Despite these cautions, it is generally a pleasant and steady climb. For trained riders who pace it properly, it can even feel surprisingly relaxing. Once you reach Kojori, you can continue and complete the loop by following the road around the hillside and descending towards Tskneti. Alternatively, from Kojori’s main square, turn right and continue climbing to the upper road leading to Udzo Monastery. Several mountain-bike trails can also be found in and around Kojori Forest.

Tsavkisi from Tavisupleba is a variation of the classic Kojori climb. Follow the same road from Liberty Square until you reach the village of Shindisi. At the main crossroads in the centre, turning left leads downhill towards Krtsanisi and Ortachala; for Tsavkisi, turn right.

A short descent follows before the climbing resumes. From here, the route alternates steep ramps with flatter stretches and brief downhill sections, making it less regular than the Kojori ascent. The final 500 metres are short but extremely demanding, a genuine leg-breaker after the long approach.

At the summit, the paved road ends and only gravel and mountain-bike trails continue. Alternatively, you can stop lower down, near the entrance to Tsavkisi, and turn right onto off-road tracks that eventually descend towards Turtle Lake or climb towards Kojori.

Possibly my favourite climb in Tbilisi, Vashlijvari–Telovani is exceptionally gentle compared with most of the city’s other long ascents.

The climb begins in the Vashlijvari settlement in Digomi, just off Marshal Gelovani Avenue. From Didube Metro, you can follow Orbaqidze Avenue to its end and turn left onto Marshal Gelovani Avenue, traffic permitting. A quieter alternative is to leave Orbaqidze earlier, pass through the narrow streets between the old Soviet apartment blocks and parks, and reach Marshal Gelovani Avenue near the pedestrian overpass.

The lower part of the climb passes through the houses of Vashlijvari, with open views towards the hills of Saburtalo. The gradient here is very easy. The road is narrow in places, so vehicles may occasionally slow your pace, although traffic is generally light.

Higher up, the houses gradually disappear and the route becomes increasingly rural. Around the hardest central section, you are already surrounded by nature. Once you reach the Didgori settlements, the views become outstanding and the atmosphere feels completely removed from the city. Cattle, horses, donkeys and other animals are common along the road. Stray dogs may also be present, although I encountered very few, even during early-morning rides.

A descent of roughly 1.5 km interrupts the climb before the final ascent to Telovani. The last 500 meters are much steeper than the rest of the route, but the panoramic views make the effort worthwhile.

Overall, this is an ideal climb for a quiet and enjoyable ride, but it can also be used for endurance, tempo or interval training. At the top, the paved road ends, but the route can be continued on gravel and mountain-bike tracks.

Although the climb from Lisi to Mukhatskaro is officially only a little over 5.5 kilometres long, in practice it often feels much longer. Riders approaching the start from Lisi Lake will already have climbed for quite some time before the official beginning of the ascent.

A common route used by local cyclists starts from Budapesti Street and includes roughly eight additional kilometres of generally moderate uphill riding before reaching the base of the main climb. For this reason, the full effort is significantly longer and more demanding than the bare statistics of the climb suggest.

After reaching Lisi Lake, continue straight along Kvachadze Street, following the long, uninterrupted straight road. To begin the climb towards Mukhatskaro, you need to turn left. This junction is easy to miss, as there are several roads branching off in the same direction. The correct turn comes just before the SPAR supermarket: when you see the supermarket on your right, take the left-hand road immediately before it.

Once past the first houses and the local Lisi Mere restaurant, the scenery quickly opens up. The road enters a mostly natural and sparsely built-up landscape, with very few buildings and wide exposed sections across the hillside.

The climb itself is demanding, though not brutally hard throughout. The landscape is rather bare and open, with very few trees until the summit and the village of Mukhatskaro are reached. This gives the climb a wild, expansive feel and offers wonderful views over Lisi Lake, but it also means that the ascent is not recommended in summer, as there is virtually no shade.

Its defining feature is the long serpentine section made up of repeated hairpin bends climbing the hillside. This is the hardest part of the ascent and where the climb feels most selective. Once the road reaches Mukhatskaro, the gradient becomes slightly more manageable, even though it still remains around 7% on average in the final part.

The road continues beyond the village towards Mskhaldidi, and riders wishing to make the route longer can eventually return to Tbilisi through Napetvrebi.

The climb begins at the junction beside the new bridge connecting Bagebi with Saburtalo and continues all the way to the well-known viewpoint at the Tskneti landslide. From the top, riders are rewarded with an impressive panorama over the surrounding mountains and valleys.

For those approaching from Vake, and more specifically from Chavchavadze Avenue, the climbing begins earlier, before the official start in Bagebi. After an initial rise and a short descent, the road begins climbing again towards Tskneti.

The lower part alternates manageable gradients with a few harder sections, but the ascent remains generally steady and rideable. It becomes more demanding after passing through Tskneti, where the gradient settles at a consistent 7–8% for long stretches.

The main drawback is the traffic. The road can be very busy, and riders should be particularly careful of cars overtaking recklessly and occasionally crossing into the opposite lane.

Despite this, the climb itself is enjoyable. The gradients are rarely extreme, much of the upper section is shaded by trees, and several points offer wide views back towards Tbilisi.

After reaching the top, it is possible to continue towards Kiketi or Kojori and eventually return to Tbilisi as part of a longer loop.